And We Would All Go Down Together
by Myomi-chan
Summary: When Naruto Uzumaki took on a dare to ask a girl out, he never dreamed things would turn sour so fast. War is looming on the horizon; he is't even sure whether he has any control at all as high school begins to spiral down the drain. NaruHina, AU.
1. Our Parris Island

"We met as soulmates

On Parris Island" - Billy Joel, "Goodnight Saigon"

**Disclaimer: I do not claim Naruto or any of the characters in it, nor do I claim the song Goodnight Saigon. Those rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Billy Joel, respectively.**

"Naruto, get over here!" yelled Kushina.

Uzumaki Naruto quickly dashed out the front door, running to leap into the car before his mother drove off without him.

"I'm coming!" he yelled, dumping his stuff in a seat as he dived after it.

"Pfeh," said Sasuke, kicking Naruto's seat. "Took you long enough."

"Sasuke..." said Kushina reproachfully, slamming her foot on the gas. Naruto lurched and banged into something in the front as he hurried to buckle. "Don't kick my leather."

"Sorry," he replied. Naruto snickered.

"Hahahah," he laughed, "guess I'm not the only idiot to have tried that!"

Kushina shook her head with a sigh.

"Settle down," she said sharply. "I can't focus with you yelling like that in my e- PUT YOUR SEATBELT ON, UZUMAKI NARUTO, OR I SWEAR, I'LL-"

And thus continued the journey to school.

"Sasuke-kuuuunnnn~~~" squealed a girl. Said boy turned just in time for a blur of pink to tackle him.

"Sakura, get off," he muttered. She giggled, but nonetheless consented.

"G'morning, Sakura-chan!" said Naruto, waving energetically. Sakura laughed, walked over, and ruffled his hair.

"Hey Naruto," she said. "Your mom drive my Sasuke-kun here safely?"

Naruto nodded. "Yuhuh," he said energetically. "Mom made sure to drive extra fast so we would get here on time, but she also made sure we wore our seatbelts. So we're fine!"

Sakura laughed nervously. "I'm _sure_," she said sarcastically, shaking her head and walking again to Sasuke's side. "Hey, so will you take me for ice cream after school or something?" she asked. Sasuke sighed, then nodded.

"You'll have to drive me home, then," he said. "Naruto's dad picked me up this morning to drop me off at their place. My car's in the repair shop."

"Oh, dear," said Sakura. "How awful!"

Her voice had something more like happiness in it than pity, and Sasuke looked down at her, suspicious.

"_You_ didn't do anything to my car, did you?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Of course not!" she said. "I don't have a car, my mom picks me up, you know that!"

Sasuke groaned. "You mean your _mom's_ gonna be chaperoning us?" he asked incredulously. "She won't even let me _KISS_ you!"

Sakura chucked softly. "Then settle for holding my hand," she said. Sasuke smirked.

"I'll take you up on that offer."

He took her hand and they walked into the school building.

Naruto, meanwhile, was busy talking to Kiba, who had come up behind him to scare him, crouching and tiptoeing his way to his victim.

And as usual, Naruto had noticed and "accidentally" elbowed him in the head.

"Owch, man, that is getting a_nno_ying," complained Kiba, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, well, so is your fail sneak-attack!" replied Naruto. "It's the same old trick you've used since middle school! It's getting _BORING_!"

"Is that a challenge?" asked Kiba, a gleam in his eye. "Well, then I accept!"

"Heheh, just _TRY_ and see if you can fool me," said Naruto proudly, striking a pose. "I'm the _master_ of pranks, 'ttebayo! I won't be fooled like the likes of you!"

"We shall see, my dear friend, we shall see," said Kiba ominously. "In the meantime, though, did you manage to nab Sakura's homework while she was being all lovey-dovey?"

"Naw," said Naruto glumly. "All she did was ruffle my hair and walk off."

"Well, hey, cheer up," said Kiba consolingly. "At least you've _GOT_ a girl."

"... Hunh?"

"Hinata." said Kiba matter-of-factly. "You know her dad's been trying to convince yours that making an arranged marriage would benefit both your families, right?"

"Oh, yeah, well..." Naruto trailed off, scanning the crowd as if the answer were hidden somewhere in there. "I don't feel comfortable with forcing anyone into those kindsa situations, y'know?"

Kiba sighed, shaking his head. He patted Naruto on the back. "I wouldn't wanna force Hinata into anything, either," he said. "She's too sweet and cute to hurt."

Naruto laughed. "Ahahah, I guess," he said, putting his hands behind his head. "I just always figured she was too fragile to push into doing things and all."

"Whoah, deep thoughts, man," said Kiba. "Especially from _YOU_."

"Yeah, I know, a-hey! Wait a-"

"Ahh, speak of the Devil," said Kiba, turning around. "The Hyuuga cousins!"

Naruto looked over his friends shoulder.

_Indeed_, he thought.

Neji walked alongside Hinata, both conversing, Neji saying something that made Hinata burst into giggles.

"Cute, huh?" asked Naruto. "Hey, I know someone who _SHOULD_ get together with Hinata," he said, nudging Kiba in the ribs.

"Wha, me? Naaaahhh," said Kiba.

"Aww, come on! She needs a goofball to make her laugh, someone who can understand her, and," added Naruto, "she needs an idiot to make her look good. I mean, she _IS_ good, but with an idjit like _you_, she'll look like a _GENIUS_-"

"Okay, _NOT_ funny, dude," said Kiba sharply. "She's been my friend since elementary school, and beLIEVE me, if I _liked_ her that way, I'da made my move by now. Besides," he continued, "I know someone _else_ who falls into the idiot category, too. Someone _SHE_ really likes."

Naruto stared blankly at him. "... You mean Gaara or Sasuke?" he asked. "Cuz they're both already take-"

"Aaaah, I give up on you!" said Kiba frustratedly, throwing his hands up in the air and marching off to talk to Chouji and Shikamaru, leaving a slightly dejected and offended (not to mention HORRIBLY confused) Naruto in his wake.

And so, Naruto, feeling slightly lonely, decided to go talk to someone.

And those someone's, he decided, would be the Hyuuga's passing right by him.

"Oi, Neji, Hinata!" called Naruto, bounding over to them. Neji quickly stepped slightly towards Hinata as she let out a quick squeak and scurried behind him.

Still so shy, thought Naruto.

He remembered when he first met her. He was playing in the playground with Sasuke and Itachi, building mud pies out of the (ironically) dry dirt beneath the swing set. He had looked up, taking a break to wipe his brow, when he saw a little girl walking with a man who was probably her father. She had seemed so tired and scared when her father had pointed to the playground, so Naruto, his heart breaking for her in sympathy, had run over to her and practically dragged her to make mud cake with him.

He also remembered her father being slightly annoyed with his own dad, complaining about his daughters' dirtied kimono.

"Kids will be kids," said Minato. "If they wanna make mud pies, then you've got to let them, but if you say something to them, it's bad."(**1**)

Naruto smiled at the memory. Hinata had been unable to look him in the eye even back then, probably (he figured) because of her low self-esteem.

Although for the life of him he couldn't understand how come her shy act was accompanied by blushes now. He supposed that perhaps, just maybe, she had just become very shy around him after elementary school?

"Hello, Naruto," said Neji stoically, "How has your morning been?"

"Eh, same old, same old," said Naruto. "And you two?"

Neji looked down at Hinata, who seemed to hide even more behind her cousin. "Hinata and I have been training and studying since 5, and have had a pleasant morning trip to school," said Neji, speaking for his temporarily mute companion.

"Ah, that's cool," said Naruto. He nodded at Hinata. "Is that the hair ribbon I got you for Christmas?" he asked. As her blush deepened and she nodded vigorously, Naruto grinned happily. "I didn't know which color was your favorite, but I figured that if I got you an orange one you would remember who got it for you," he said. "My mom said it would look cute on you, though, so I decided, hey, win-win situation. It _DOES_ look cute on you," said Naruto cheerily.

Neji quickly grabbed Hinata's arm, and Naruto's grin fell. "Oh, no, is she having another-" he began.

"No, she's just woozy," said Neji quickly. "She's not going to faint." he paused and looked down at his dizzy clan member. "Are you?" he asked.

Hinata shook her head quickly. "I-I-I j-j-j-just ne-ne-need s-some f-fr-f-f-fresh air-air," she managed to stutter. Naruto and Neji nodded simultaneously, and Naruto stepped out of the way quickly, allowing Neji and Hinata to pass towards the school building.

"Hope you feel better, Hinata!" he called.

He saw her stumble a bit when he uttered her name.

_Whoops_, he thought guiltily, _I must've distracted her. My bad!_

Naruto turned to go hang with Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru (while realizing suddenly that it was a bit odd that Hinata and her cousin had retreated for "fresh air" to the _school_) when the bell rang, signaling the start of the school day. Naruto hurried inside, worrying about Hinata.

_I hope Hinata wasn't sick_. And then, after a moment, _I hope I didn't catch it_.

He had to wonder nervously, though, as his heart beat quickly and butterflies filled his stomach as he thought of her and her orange ribbon and if she was ill or not.

**Author's comment: Hey everyone! I figured it was time I crank out a more universal fic featuring ALL my fave couples.**

**PLEASE R&R! My stories don't get enough love in that respect! ImAGINE, over 300 people read one of them, and only 10 bothered to leave me with ANY feedback!**

**So 290 didn't bother to comment. THAT, my dear friends, is what we call being "a bump on a pickle" where I come from.**

**(1) And did anyone catch the "Catcher In the Rye" reference? I'll give you a hint: If I hadn't mentioned just now that I do not claim the idea or phrase as my own, I could have been tried for plagiarism. XD**

**This is just the "prelude" of the story, if anyone cares to know. The REAL plot begins in the chapters to come. I was inspired loosely by Goodnight Saigon, so for a few chapters I will probably have selective quotes from the song. And obviously, the title of this fic is the first part of the chorus line.**

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R, or at LEAST fave or watch or SOMETHING! THANKS!**


	2. I Will

"We left as inmates

From an asylum" - Billy Joel, "Goodnight Saigon"

**Disclaimer: I do not claim Naruto or any of the characters in it, nor do I claim the song Goodnight Saigon. Those rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Billy Joel, respectively.**

When Hinata had met Naruto and Sasuke, she had already lost her mother. She had already known what pain was and how it felt to lose one of your precious people.

And when Sasuke's family was murdered by his brother, the only one he would talk to for months was her.

He really didn't appreciate all the fake condolences. Even from Naruto, who was probably one of the worlds most understanding and sympathetic souls, it was all just lies. _THEY_ didn't know what it was like; the closest Naruto had come to losing his parents was when his mom wrecked the car and had to get stitches on her knee.

But Hinata knew.

She knew all too well what it felt like to be thrown into the sudden, confusingly dark world that is grief. She knew how it felt to be betrayed by one of her own; she even knew the feeling of fighting against a family member -which Sasuke had sworn to do once he was strong enough to kill Itachi.

So it was only natural that when he grew older and began to notice the looks some boys gave her, that he would scowl and be her silent protector from afar.

Eventually they drifted apart. She went to a private middle school with Neji, and he and Naruto were finally forced to accept that their previously three-man-group would become more of a duo now.

And then he met Sakura.

She had been in love with him for years, being in a different class than him in their elementary years and watching from afar with her friend Ino. But once the girls had become enemies (it was only later that Sakura told him it was because of him) she became more of a daredevil, and proceeded to pester him daily about a date.

And Sasuke would turn her down every time.

It wasn't until the eighth grade that, after some subtle hints from his male peers and some not-so-subtle threats from Naruto, he finally caved and said yes.

And he had never gone back.

Yes, Sakura was annoying, and somewhat weak physically, and sickeningly girly, and _so_ many other things. But she was also kind, cute, smart, witty, strong in her own way, and overall accepting. When she asked about his family and he had refused to give her an answer, she had sighed, shrugged, and decided to talk about their test in English instead.

He appreciated her smile and her nerve, and also submitted to the fact that she had faults.

But it was part of what made her perfect.

In high school, when he had met Hinata again, he realized that, although she was still shy and continued with her crush on Naruto, she no longer needed his protecting. Although she, like Sakura, had her weaknesses, she also had a newfound strength in her that made her calmer and more perceptive.

Sasuke realized they were very similar.

Not in physical appearance, and _CERTAINLY_ not in gender, but they both had struggled to build their backbones and had to fight against immense odds to succeed.

He realized that without someone to help him stand, he might not have made it.

Sakura was that someone. He had found the love of his life and he would only leave her when the time came to defeat his brother. And he would return to her.

But Hinata had no one.

But Sasuke knew who would be perfect.

If only the boy would _see_ it!

"Ne, but I don't wanna force her into anything like that," complained Naruto.

"If she says _yes_, then you're not _forcing_ her into _any_thing," said Sasuke grumpily. He had been pestering Naruto all through lunch about asking Hinata to go out with him, but Naruto had simply waved it away, saying he didn't care to bother trying.

"But I'm Uzumaki Naruto, son of the fourth President of Konoha," said Naruto. "How could she say no? Her clan already puts a lot of pressure on her to do the 'politically right' thing; she'd be too scared of my Father's political pull to dare say no."

Sasuke huffed frustratedly, running a hand through his hair in exasperation.

"Look, just give her a _chance_," he said. "You _know_ she cares about you!"

Naruto sighed, stabbing at his food as if it were something that ought to be brutally murdered. "Well, I just think she likes me as a FRIEND," said Naruto. He grimaced when he lifted an undercooked chunk of potato and examined it. "Ugh, I _HATE_ school cafeterias, why can't they ever serve _ramen_ or somethi-"

"Naruto," said Sasuke reproachfully, "don't try to change the subject." Sasuke jabbed a slice of tomato with his own fork and pointed it at Naruto, brandishing it like a sword. "You need to accept the fact that either you WILL ask her out, or you are WEAKER than me."

He knew he'd struck a nerve when Naruto scowled fiercely and gripped his fork so tightly it snapped. Cursing softly, Naruto threw the broken fork (and attached potato) down on his tray in defeat.

"Fine," groaned Naruto, "I'll _do it_. But," said Naruto, grinning slowly again, "If I _do_ do it, does that mean that you admit I'm better?"

Sasuke smirked. "Only if your relationship lasts for over a year."

Naruto's smile slipped. "B-but that's not fair to Hinata!" he said loudly. "That would make the relationship like a... Like a dare!" Naruto flung his hands up in the air and pulled at his hair. "I can't do that to her! That would be _using_ her! And-"

"So you do _care_ about her, see?" said Sasuke triumphantly. If he could _just_ get Naruto to _admit_ he felt _something_ for her then he woul-

"But I'd feel this way about you or Sakura or... _everyone_," replied Naruto. "Because no one deserves to be used."

Sasuke sighed. "Look, you _agreed_ to ask her just now," said Sasuke. He looked Naruto in the eye and pulled his ace. "Are you telling me you're not gonna go THROUGH with it?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he sprang up, enlivened suddenly with determination.

"I'M GONNA ASK HER, BELIEVE IT!" he yelled. Sasuke smiled faintly as Naruto, once again, became the center of attention. And he didn't seem to either realize or care. "BECAUSE I NEVER GO BACK ON MY WORD, 'TTEBAYO!"

Later, as Sasuke rested his chin on his hands, watching Sakura and her mother eat the ice cream he'd bought them, he had a sudden thought.

And that was that he had possibly just encouraged all Hell to break loose pretty soon.

He didn't realize it already had.

"Naruto, why don't you invite Hinata over more often?" asked Kushina, parking in the driveway. "I get _SO_ lonely sometimes with just testosterone around all the time." She laughed, parking and opening her door, grabbing her purse as she went. "Don't you feel that way sometimes, dear?" she continued, looking back at a wobbly Hinata.

"E-Eh, uhm, well, yes, b-b-but I ha-have my s-si-sist-sister and-d Kure-renai-sen-sensei, so..."

Kushina clicked her tongue. "Ah yes, your little sister," she said thoughtfully, opening the door. "Lucky! What I'd give for a daughter!"

Naruto, meanwhile, was trying to mentally prepare himself for the big question.

"It's okay, you can do this..." he mumbled as he slowly left the car. He glanced up to see his mother ruffle Hinata's hair.

And somehow, he had a feeling all he would be able to say was some other excuse.

He really had tried earlier. Honestly, he had. He'd walked right up to Hinata and everything, even with Neji beside her, and had managed to form the first part of his sentence.

"Hinata, will you go..."

And then he had drawn a blank.

It was like having amnesia: Where was he? Why was he here? _Who_ was he? How had he gotten here? What was going on?

Who was the pretty little angel blushing in front of him?

And WHAT was he thinking, asking an _angel _to date him? His mind was his again as his situation came flooding back. Weren't angels God's property already?

What gave him a reason to even _look _at her?

And fumbling for a response, he had quickly used his mind of trickery to create a new ending to his unfinished question.

"Uh... Would you like to go to my house and eat dinner with us? My-my mom loves it when you come over so I just thought..."

And Hinata had agreed.

"Am I invited?" asked Neji. Naruto looked up. "Uhmmmm, well..."

Neji's eye twinkled with a sudden spark of recognition.

"Ah, but I must help Hanabi finish her science fair project," said Neji, as if the thought had just re-entered his mind. "I will have to decline the invitation," he said.

And that was how Naruto had come to this point, trying to egg himself on while shrinking back whenever he looked up to see Hinata.

"Naruto, come _on_!" yelled Kushina from inside the house. "I don't like insects and if you leave the door open then they might fl-EEEAAAAGHHHHHH!"

Naruto sighed and ran inside, where a disgustingly large fly was buzzing around inside. His mom, it seemed, had dived underneath the coffee table and was screaming ballistically while Hinata squatted consolingly next to her, swatting the fly away from time to time when it buzzed too close by.

"I got it, I got it!" yelled Naruto. He ran into the neat little kitchen, grabbed the flyswatter his mother hung by the refrigerator ("Use it like a weapon!" she had once told him, wielding it like a katana. "It is your greatest weapon against those vile creatures that crawl on six plus legs!") and ran back in, swinging like a madman.

Unfortunately, he was not as masterful as his father when it came to striking down a moving target, and finally, after getting fed up with his continuous failures and his mothers' constant shrieks accompanied by soothing cooing from Hinata, he took his shoe off and threw it in the air.

It hit.

He would have celebrated.

If it weren't for the fact that the shoe, after hitting the ground and partially mushing the flying creature, bounced away.

And it had left the twitching, squished fly body right in front of Kushina.

"AAAAAAAAAGHHHH!" screamed his mother in pure terror and disgust. "Pick it up! _PICK IT UP!"_

Naruto hurriedly ran back to the kitchen, grabbed the paper towels, and was about to turn around to pick the pest up when-

CRASH!

Naruto stopped in his tracks, and his mothers screaming stopped momentarily. Then Naruto ran to the garage, dropping the roll of paper towels somewhere along the way (specifically a coffee table in the hallway between the kitchen and the garage, but Naruto didn't care to keep this bit of info in his head).

"It's ok!" said a voice as Naruto reached the door. "I just... Uhh..."

Namikaze Minato pulled up the garage door and sheepishly walked into the now sunlit garage. "I, er, accidentally crashed into the door," he said. "It didn't open when I clicked the remote like you showed me..."

"Oh," said Naruto slowly.

"YOU BENT MY GARAGE DOOOOOOORRRRR?" roared a voice from deep within the house. Both blonde men flinched. "MINATO, GET IN HERE AND PICK UP THIS DEAD FLIAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH OH GOD OH GOD IT TWITCHED AGAIN AAAAHHHGH!"

Minato scrambled inside as his son followed. "Where'd the paper towels go?" asked Minato suspiciously.

Naruto saw Hinata pulling away from his mother helplessly as she sighed and rubbed her temples, backing away into an undisturbed corner (aside from Kushina's persistent yelling).

All thoughts of flies and towels and doors flew from his mind.

Instead, the only thought in his mind was this:

'_NOW.'_

No one was paying any attention to them.

He leapt to Hinata's side.

"Hey, hey, Hinata," he said excitedly, grabbing her shoulders to turn her towards him. He dismissed the fact that she turned red; after all, he had assumed she was sick earlier in the day.

"N-Naruto-ku-?" she began.

"Will you go out with me?" he asked.

Her eyes widened.

And then rolled back in her head.

She slumped, and Naruto scrambled to catch her.

'SHIT!' he thought, panic-stricken. 'SHE _FAINTED_!'

He looked around and cursed again.

Because no one was paying any attention to them. And he had no clue what to do with the girl who had fainted in his arms.

Hinata came to with a start. She remembered something about a fly and Kushina and Naruto-kun and-

Said boy was grinning sheepishly at her, sitting in a chair by the bed she was in and OHMAIGOD _IT WAS NARUTO-KUN'S BED_!

She squealed and leapt up with a start as Naruto tilted his head to the side in surprise.

"You ok?" he asked. She steadied herself and nodded.

And then it occurred to her that Naruto had asked her out.

And she blushed a deep red.

Naruto noticed.

"Uhh, look, I'm so-sorry about... Uh..."

"Y-y-yes..." she mumbled.

"Uhm, yeah, so- wait, huh?" He leaned forward. "Wait, yes for me to continue or ye-"

"Y-y-yes, I wi-will g-g-g-go ou-o-out wi-w-w-wi-with y-yo-you..." she mumbled.

Naruto's eyes widened and then he squealed (yes, squealed) in happiness, vaulted over the bed to the side she stood on, and enveloped her in a huge hug.

"Yeheeeeeesssssss!" he yelled. "I've got a girlfriend! 'Ttebayooooo~~!"

Hinata giggled softly as she nervously patted his back.

"So, uh, you don't feel pressured into this, right?" he said suddenly, pulling away and looking her in the eye with a serious look. "Cuz I don't wanna force you into anythi-"

"I-I've lo... Liked y-you si-since we w-we-were li-li-little..." stuttered Hinata.

Naruto's eyes widened, and then he threw his head back and laughed, covering his face with his hands.

"You're serious-oh my God, it makes _sense_- Teme was _right_-ahhh!" he yelled happily, scooping her up into another hug. She let out a squeak of protest and he chuckled and put her down.

"So, uh, wanna go ea-"

"Naruto, Hinata, Hiashi and Neji are he-_oooh_," said Minato, emphasizing the last part. "Oh my. Should I tell them to wait a little while?" He grinned and jiggled his eyebrows a little.

Naruto ran at his dad and shoved him playfully.

"Perverted old men!" he yelled. "You AND Kakashi AND the Pervy Sage!"

Minato laughed and patted Naruto on the shoulder, then nodded to Hinata with a grin. "Congrats, you two," he said. "Your dad's gonna like this!"

Hinata blushed.

"Hinata, dear," said Kushina, sliding past her husband and standing beside Hinata. "I'm... _really_ sorry about today. We called your dad to come pick you up after you fainted, and-"

"Mooooommm~~"sang Naruto happily, running over to loop his arm through one of Hinata's. "Hinata and I are going out now!"

Kushina blinked, then laughed. "Well, doesn't matter either way," she said, taking Hinata's other arm and pulling her towards the doorway. "You've got to go home now."

After Hinata had said her goodbyes and finally settled down in the car with her father and cousin, she burst into tears.

"What did that boy _DO_ to you?" asked Neji incredulously as Hiashi looked back at his daughter in concern.

"N-nothing... I mean _everything_..." she sighed. "I'm s-s-so happy!"

Neji looked back at her with a confused expression as Hiashi chuckled and began to drive.

"I don't get it," said Neji.

"_CHILD_," said Hiashi, "She's _HAPPY_."

Neji looked back at his sobbing relative.

"... Ok," he relented.

It was at this moment that Neji finally truly accepted that women were beyond his range of understanding.

As was how happiness could make someone CRY.

**Author's comments: Sheesh, is it just me or is fanfiction having some SERIOUS crashes lately? I couldn't even check the REGULAR SITE from my mobile device; what I found funny about that was that I got the unable to process login error for when I was just trying to go to the plain old fanfiction website. This is a very depressing experience y'all!**

**Anyways, just to let you guys know, it is coming to THAT time of the year where I will be severely slowed down by finals and cramming and standardized tests and AP exams and SAT stuff AND EOC's. And regular tests. All this in addition to the regular homework load.**

**So, yeah. I'm TRYING to finish a LOT of chapters so that one of these days I can just plug em all in so you guys have SOMETHING to read between now and the last day of school; but I've got some personal issues right now so I may not be able to post in time... I will try, though!**

**Also, I would like to address an issue that has recurrently seemed to be an interest to a number of my reviewers.**

**Yes, I realize I have errors. I do not have a beta and also have an itouch, which likes to autocorrect some things to hilarious other things (like Hinata's name to Piñata- come on, don't tell me that didn't make you laugh! when I caught it I almost died of laughter!) so I do understand the issue. I will try to be better about that; however, I hope that some of you are taking into account that not ALL my words are accidents (for example, the word 'kindsa' is how the people where I live shorten "kinds of") and I do intend to use vernacular as I please, so deal. Also, I originally intended to alter my writing style for this to one that uses less flamboyant language and stays closer to how we usually perceive and say things in real life, but since I'm pressed for time and I don't have enough stamina for that, I'm reverting back to my own personal style. Which I'm sure at least ONE person will be glad to know includes MUCH more sensory and extraneous detail.**

**So, yeah. Hope you all enjoyed.**

**Review and I may share a bit of exciting news with you guys next time. XD remind me so I don't forget, how's that?**

**Oh, and yes, the six plus uttered by Kushina is also seen as 6+. Just to clarify.**


	3. Registration

"And we were sharp

As sharp as knives

And we were so gung ho to lay down our lives" - Billy Joel, "Goodnight Saigon"

**Disclaimer: I do not claim Naruto or any of the characters in it, nor do I claim the song Goodnight Saigon. Those rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Billy Joel, respectively.**

Today was a particularly boisterous morning.

Every single student in the sophomore year at Konoha High who was age 16 came to school talking about a certain piece of mail they'd received upon coming home the evening before.

"I wouldn't mind," said Kiba to Chouji, who was chomping down chips especially fast today due to jumbled nerves. "Probably beats having to come to _THIS_ boring dump," he continued, gesturing his arms around.

"But it's so _troublesome_..." said Shikamaru."I don't want to die."

"Well, it's only a _registration_," said Kiba. "I mean, it's not as if we're there's any _REASON_ for us to leave this place or anything."

Shikamaru shook his head and sighed. "For now, we're safe," he said, "but at _this_ rate... Urgh, it's such a bother..."

"I believe it is our duty to the country," said Neji. "After all, it _is_ our land. We must be willing to protect it, and our families living here."

"Yeah, well," piped up Naruto. He was sitting on one of the benches, huddling with a slightly scared Hinata. "Even my _Dad_ doesn't agree with it. The only rea-Ahh wait, I'm not supposed to say!" he waved his arms sporadically before covering his mouth. "Sorry..."

"Well, maybe _some_ people should be exempt," added Sasuke with a smirk. "Right, Dobe?"

Naruto stared blankly back at him before the realization that he had just been insulted set in. "HEY! NOT FAIIIIRRRRR~~" he whined, picking up his lunch box (courtesy of his mother; God forbid _HE_ should ever pack anything _HEALTHY_) and tossing it at his best friend, who easily caught it. "I'm gonna tell Sakura-chan!"

Now _there_ was a scary thought. Sasuke flinched mentally at the idea of Sakura getting after him; lectures from her were worse than Gai-sensei's power of youth sessions in gym.

And that was saying something.

"But anyways," said Ino, shaking her head. "We all kinda _have_ to sign up. Naruto may not be able to tell you, but since I _AM_ the gossip mill in Konoha, I'll just let y'all in on something." Everyone became quiet as Ino lowered her voice. This was one secret even _SHE_ knew shouldn't be spread too far, and although she was fine with sharing it, she knew to share it with people who actually _COULD_ keep it secret.

"According to my sources," she began, "The Hokage tried to convince The Council that they should discontinue the draft, but they refused. According to them, our political situation with Sound isn't exactly _great_, so they think the draft may be necessary in years to come."

Everyone was silent. Finally Hinata turned to Naruto.

"I-Is it true?" she asked. He nodded after a moment of hesitation.

"Yeah..." he murmured.

All of them were silent until the bell rang, signaling that their school day had officially begun.

"Kakashi-sensei!" said Tenten.

Kakashi looked up from his book. English class with Kakashi was generally laid-back, with students either bringing their own reading materials or else borrowing them from the enormous library stash Kakashi had available to them. For most of the classes, the students would just sprawl out on bean bags or cushions lying around the room in various locations and proceed to read. Every few weeks Kakashi expected book reports on his desk, but most of the time they just read and chilled. "Students learn best from actually seeing it," claimed Kakashi. "Great writers are great readers; and by being good writers they pass any language test thrown at them, so it all works out for me."

"What, Tenten?" asked Kakashi lazily, not even glancing up from his book.

"Why is it that every generation has to sign the draft registration when they reach the age of 16?" she asked. Kakashi blinked, putting his book down.

"They don't," he said. "You know Kiba's sister, Hana? They didn't get a draft registration. It's only in times of absolute peace when it isn't issued, though."

"So we _ARE_ gonna go to war with Sound!" yelled Sakura. Sasuke looked up from his book, intrigued. If there was a war, he could use it to his advantage to get some practice in for when he faced down his brother...

"It's not that simple," said Kakashi. "We aren't exactly _friendly_ towards one another, but politically, no moves have been made to go to war. So until that happens, you guys get to spend time with your favorite teacher, me." Kakashi chuckled and looked down at his book as his English II students went back to reading.

Sakura turned to Sasuke, who was seated in the beanbag next to hers.

"But you said Ino-pig said tha-"

"She said our political state isn't as great as the public makes it out to be. She didn't say anything about war."

"Bu Kakashi-sensei said when..." Sakura's eyes widened and she turned back to their teacher. "Wait, Kakashi-sensei, what do you mean, _when_?"

Kakashi sighed and put his book down on the table, then leaned forward seriously, looking each member of the class in the eye.

"I've had a lot of experience in my days," he said slowly. "Not only do I have a good enough education to be able to infer this, but I've also got personal experience with how public relations are with countries before they go to war." He looked at Sakura again, indicating he was going to answer her question now. "Believe me, there _WILL_ be a war soon. Just pray you're not in the first few drafts, that's all I can say."

Naruto raised his hand as Hinata sighed in defeat next to him.

"Ne, I don't get it!" he said, a hint of complaint in his voice.

Kurenai looked at him crossly.

"Naruto, I would love to actually sit down and help you learn, and if you ever cared to show up for tutorials I COULD," she said, "but right now I've got a class of 26 other students who_ do_ get it and need me to further their learning. So, either buckle down and study at _HOME_, or else come to tutorials." She began skritching on the board again. "Now, when you know you have a 45-45-90 triangle, you ca-"

"Ne, ne, sensei!" he called again.

Kurenai huffed and tried her best to hide her exasperation. Apparently, Naruto had rolled out of bed and decided that today he was going to try to get Kurenai fired by annoying her to the point where she would eventually throw something at him and lose her job once Tsunade found out.

"_YES_, Naruto," she said sharply.

"When you were 16, did you get the draft thing?"

Kurenai was taken aback for a second.

"Well... Yes," she said. "I did. And then I was drafted for the war about the same time as Kakashi, even though he was older by a year or so. It's where I met Asuma," she said.

Naruto grinned.

"By the way," he said casually, "that baby is getting big!"

There was a moment of silence before a piece of chalk hit Naruto squarely in the nose.

"Aaaagh!" he yelled in pain, crashing to the ground after managing to tip his chair over. "I meant it as a compliment! Like, as in, it's healthy, hooray! Oww..."

Kurenai took a deep breath and turned back to the board, scribbling with renewed vigor.

"Like I was saying, when you have a 45-45-90 triangle..."

By the time school was over, Hinata had explained to Naruto the err of his ways in the previous class.

"But I didn't _MEAN_ for her to think I was calling her fat!" he yelled unhappily.

Hinata smiled softly at him.

"Y-yes, I-I-I kno-know."

Naruto made a discontented sound before smiling back at her.

"Eh, let's not worry about it," he said. "My dad lent his car to me today so we could go out for ramen!" he cheered happily as Hinata blushed and nodded.

"So... Y-y-you r-really me-meant i-i-it yeste-sterday?" she whispered.

Naruto grinned and took her hand, leading her to the car.

"Of _COURSE_!" he yelled. "Why would I say something I don't mean to go through with?"

Hinata had to admit, there wasn't much of an antithesis to provide for that question when it came to Naruto.

"So, you signed the draft sign-up today?" asked Mr. Ichiraku as he put two bowls down on the counter. Naruto immediately dug in, but Hinata slowly broke her chopsticks and said a blessing before eating.

"Yeaw, idsh wehuaiwed Dow aww deenayewsh," said Naruto through a mouthful of ramen. (Translation: Yeah, it's required for all teenagers)

"Is it now?" said Mr. Ichiraku. "You kids are lucky. Why, if I weren't flat-footed, I would follow you out on a battlefield any day!"

"But then I'd have to run this place all on my own!" said his daughter, putting another bowl in front of Naruto. "Now enough about drafts and wars," she said, "I wanna know who you brought for dinner!" She smiled at Hinata.

"Yes, please do tell," said Mr. Ichiraku with a faint grin.

"Oh, this is my girlfriend, Hyuuga Hinata!" said Naruto happily, unconsciously scooting his stool closer to hers.

"H-h-hello," said Hinata shyly.

Mr. Ichiraku cracked a huge smile.

"Well, aren't _you_ the shy one," he said teasingly. "That's a good thing; this boy's been long overdue for some embarrassment. Maybe you can help him learn about that concept?"

As Hinata began to stutter something Naruto began whining.

"Heeeey, I don't need any lessons in _any_thing," said Naruto. "I know what embarrassing stuff is." He flashed a cheeky grin. "Why do you think I know just what pranks to pull?"

Mr. Ichiraku chuckled.

"Indeed, m'boy, indeed." He sighed contentedly and went to the back of the little shop to begin cooking another round for the guests to come at a later hour, and his daughter flashed the couple a wink before following her father, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone.

It was just what both of them had wanted.

It was just what both of them had feared.

They ended up sitting in awkward silence, munching away and shooting nervous glances at their date when they thought the other wasn't looking. And when their eyes _did_ meet, they would quickly smile, and then return their gaze to their meal with a light blush.

Finally, Naruto decided to gather up his courage and put his chopsticks down.

"Man, I'm stuffed," he said. "How 'bout you?"

It was his subtle way of starting a conversation going, and Hinata seized it, being just as eager as him to overcome the awkward moment.

"Y-yeah, I-I-I'm ve-very full," she said, standing. "I-it was del-de-de-delicious."

Naruto grinned at her and put the money for their food on the table; Ichiraku's daughter, he knew, would be coming to get it as soon as they left.

As the two took a stroll around town, they had no clue that an unidentified, unauthorized plane was traveling overhead.

**Author's notes: This chapter was mostly to introduce war into the series. From here on out, the plot will actually be taking place.**

**And by the way, in my opinion, the particular snippet of lyrics at the top of this chapter represents the sharp blade of patriotism. I also tried to have all the testaments of willingness to serve to be the whole "gung ho" part.**

**I do have a question, though. I'm sure there are different interpretations of what the "sharp as knives" things symbolizes; some would say it's wits, others say patriotism, and still others different things entirely. Anyone care to share your thoughts?**

**I hope you enjoyed Naruto and Hinata's first date XD**

**You're gonna hate me next chapter... cuz imma ruin it :/**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**R&R PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~~~ I like to know what you all think~~ critiques welcome. I appreciate the ones I've already received, keep em coming! I wanna get better at writing ^^**


	4. Shatter

"We came in spastic

Like tameless horses

We left in plastic

As numbered corpses"

-Billy Joel, 'Goodnight Saigon'

**Disclaimer: I do not claim Naruto or any of the characters in it, nor do I claim the song Goodnight Saigon. Those rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Billy Joel, respectively.**

"Naruto?"

Great. Just great.

The date had been going well. _WONDERFULLY_, actually. He and Hinata had walked all the way to the gates of the city, where a great arrangement of cherry blossom trees and oaks grew side-by-side, creating the strangest colors of sunlight streaming through their branches; and added to that, the already golden sunlight of a setting sun created the most beautiful sky to accent the trees. A breeze had even been blowing through the air as he and Hinata had taken a spot on a bench to enjoy the view.

And _right_ when Hinata had tentatively put her head on his shoulder, _RIGHT_ before he was going to put his head on top of hers...

"Yes, mom?" he asked grumpily.

"Don't use that tone with me!" she said sharply. He was going to retort with the fact that her suddenly calling him had interrupted the precious moment he and his new girlfriend had been about to share...

But there was something about his mothers tone of voice... Something...

"Where are you, Naruto?" she asked quickly. "I need you to come home _now_. Bring Hinata, if you're still with her. Seriously, _WHERE ARE YOU_?"

Naruto was a bit taken aback. His mother was certainly not the most laidback of parents, but she never pestered him so much about his whereabouts. Except for a few times, like when those nin had captured Hinata when they were younger. She'd been worried he would be a target as well, for being the son of a national leader. And when Itachi had gone rogue, when Naruto had been returning from Shikamaru's place after finishing a project, she had called him and asked of his whereabouts in the same desperate way, fearing Itachi might take him hostage to leave the city safely.

Her worries were a bit far-fetched, but nonetheless understandable. So for her to be using that tone now meant...

His eyes widened, and he stood quickly, pulling the hood on Hinata's jacket above her head and then grabbing her hand.

"Nar-" she began.

"Hush," he said softly. She did. Naruto never said that kind of thing to anyone except Sasuke.

_Something must be happening_, she thought worriedly.

"The car's a little ways away," said Naruto into the phone. "We're at the gate." He pulled the hood of his own jacket over his head; his blonde hair was a feature that especially stood out in Konoha, and if someone were looking for him, it would make him easily distinguishable.

"Crap," said his mother softly. Naruto cringed.

His mother never cursed. Yelled, yes; but she rarely uttered anything even as bad as Hell. So he began to walk faster.

"...Uhm... Oh!" she said. "The Yamanaka's! Go to the flower shop!"

"You mean Ino's place?" he asked. "But I don-"

"I-I-I do," said Hinata faintly. Naruto turned briefly to stare at her and then let her take the lead.

"It's a few blo-" started his mother.

"Hinata knows the way," replied Naruto.

His mother made a sound of approval.

"Good girl, really, kiddo," she said; he could tell she was smiling. "Glad you finally got with her." Kushina cleared her throat. "Ok, all I can tell you is that the city is going to go into lock-down mode. There's-"

Naruto heard a snap and he heard his mother cry out.

"Mom?" he yelled.

"AAAAHHHGH!" she screamed. "R-r-roach!"

Naruto stopped walking for a second before bursting out laughing.

"You scared me for a second there," said Naruto.

"Ugh..." said his mother wearily. He could almost see her tiptoeing around the creature and heading towards the kitchen, where her weapon of destruction hung on a wall. "Just _GO_, Naruto," she said. "We don't know who they are, but someone's flying around looking for someone."

Naruto made a mental note to keep his ears peeled for any planes or helicopters; if he heard one, he'd grab Hinata and dive into the nearest building or alley or dumpster or... _SOMETHING_.

"Do you know who they're after?" asked Naruto.

"No," said Kushina, "but I don't want it to be you."

Naruto sighed.

"Hinata, how far till we get there?" he asked.

Hinata turned a little bit so she could answer him face-to-face.

"Just a-around-d the b-b-block," she said. Naruto nodded and squeezed her slightly trembling hand.

"We're fine, Hinata-chan," he said. She nodded, eyes focusing on the corner ahead.

"We're pretty much here, mom," he said as the shop came into view.

"All right," sighed Kushina. "Be safe."

"We will," replied Naruto, and he hung up.

They were about to enter the flower shop when they heard the sound of the sirens.

"**Attention citizens**," boomed Minato's voice from every speaker and television in the city that was accessible. Police cars with their sirens on zoomed across the city, broadcasting the message via speakers on the roofs. "**Please go indoors. There is an unidentified aircraft flying above the city. We are currently attempting to make contact with them, but it's better to be safe than sorry, so please take shelter in the nearest vicinity."**

He didn't have to tell Naruto twice.

In moments Hinata and he were inside the Yamanaka flower shop, and Naruto whirled around and turned the light switch off.

"Na-Naruto?" asked Ino from the counter; a repeat of Minato's message was playing on the radio in the corner of the little shop. "Hinata?"

"Ino, hey," said Naruto, waving after pulling his hood down. "So we can stay here for now, right?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, I don't see why not!" she said, running a hand along the hair she had tied back in a braid. "This is... unexpected," she said. As Naruto was about to sheepishly express his regrets for entering, Ino hastily shook her hands at him. "I mean the plane, or helicopter or whatever," she said.

"Oh," said Naruto. He nodded. "Yeah, definitely!" He shook his head tiredly. "It totally ruined our date!"

"Oh, _yeah_, you guys are an _ITEM_ now," said Ino with a smile. "Well, isn't _THIS_ a memorable first date!" she laughed.

"Uhm, g-guys?" asked Hinata quietly. She pulled her hood down. "Do y-y-you think th-the plane is one of S-S-S-Sounds?"

The room fell silent as the other two contemplated her words.

"... Probably," admitted Ino. She shook her head. "I didn't think they would do something so _drastic_, though," she said.

"Well, unidentified planes flying around happens pretty often," interjected Naruto.

"Ex_actly_," said Ino sharply. "That's why they're telling us to go indoors: they're _LYING_. They _DID_ identify it as a hostile aircraft, which is why we're in a temporary city-wide lockdown." Ino shook her head again, shifting and sitting down on the chair at the counter. "What a mess," she said softly.

All Naruto and Hinata could do was agree silently.

As the minutes passed, and it became clear that the lockdown was not going to be over any time soon, Ino ushered her friends into the back of the shop, into the house part of it.

"Might as well start cooking," she said. "Mom and Dad may not be home soon. Feel free to crash where you wanna."

Naruto proceeded to fall onto the couch and stretch contentedly, while Hinata and Ino went into the kitchen to find something edible.

"I can't see anything in our pantry," sighed Ino. "Can you?"

"Uhm, yes," Hinata said softly.

"Ahh, you Hyugas all have that amazing eyesight thing!" yelled Ino. "It's, like, kinda like cat eyes or something, right?"

"Uh-uhm...No."

"Oh..."

The girls rummaged around a bit more and finally it occurred to Naruto that maybe he should help them.

"Need help?" he asked, walking in. He stubbed his toe on the corner of something (a corner of a counter, to be precise) and hissed in pain. "Oouch!"

"Are you ok?" asked Ino. Naruto nodded, then remembered it was too dark to make out such a gesture in the lighting -or lack thereof- and spoke.

"Yeah, I'll be ok."

"Ahahah!" yelled Ino triumphantly, yanking out a container that made shifting sounds. "Found the noodles!"

"Is it ramen?" asked Naruto hopefully, hurrying over to where Ino and Hinata had gone.

Suddenly a door opened.

The three froze.

They heard silence. Ino's hand reached out and grabbed Naruto's shoulder, pushing him down. Hinata was urged down also, and Naruto looked up to see Ino's form silhouetted in the dimming evening lint filtering through the window in the other room, holding the container of noodles, creeping along the ground to the doorway.

Suddenly there was crashing. Hinata flinched and Naruto put his hand consolingly on his girlfriend's shoulder. Ino leapt back and scrambled back to where they were, opening a cabinet of the counter Naruto had bumped in to. She gestured fervently, and as Naruto heard the crash of a pot from the shop, he ushered Hinata in first, then signaled Ino in. He himself squeezed in just as he heard footsteps begin to echo from the tiled shop's floor, getting louder and heading towards them.

He softly closed the cabinet door.

An awful silence engulfed them. Behind him, he felt Hinata shaking, and heard Ino trying to keep herself from hyperventilating.

He himself was having an issue with keeping still.

The tight space they were in was suffocating, a little damp, and as mushed together as they were, practically sitting on each other, it was hot. He could feel perspiration forming on him. Maybe it was nerves, too, but it was hard to keep from twitching. He prayed that he wouldn't give them away by hitting his head or shoulder or something against the interior of the counter.

They dimly heard footsteps. The sound seemed to stop not too far away, and a click was heard. Light pooled suddenly through the crevices of the door, and Naruto couldn't help but flinch a little. He felt the girls behind him do the same.

And suddenly he remembered the container of food.

It was in the cabinet with them. Pressed against his back.

Painfully.

He tried not to fidget as he heard the footsteps continuing their inspection of the house, and he heard a chair tumble over.

But he accidentally twitched.

It was enough.

The noodles inside the container shifted. It was a quick little shuffle, but the footsteps came right in front of them immediately.

The cabinet was yanked open.

A gun pointed in Naruto's startled face.

"Out!" said a male voice. Naruto climbed out and made a move to stand in front of the cabinet to hide the girls when Hinata took that moment to sneeze.

A most unfortunate occurrence.

The person wreaking havoc around the house (a male, Naruto faintly took note of) crouched down and pointed his weapon into the cabinet, motioning, and Ino and Hinata were left with no choice but to also clamber out into the open as well.

The man looked at Naruto with a satisfied grin.

"You're the only one I need," he said. Naruto shivered. He had been the target of assaults before, but never had he been so close to death. Whenever danger had presented itself, Naruto would be hidden away somewhere remote with bodyguards while his parents worked to capture the attacker. He mentally realized that the plane had been a distraction while the search for him inland took place.

It was very disconcerting, to say the least.

The man herded the three teenagers into the living room. Moments ago he had been sprawled out on the couch, Naruto thought bitterly. And now the lives of all three of them rested in the palm of this man's hand.

"Get down," he ordered Naruto. Naruto grudgingly obeyed, and felt ropes being tied around his wrists, digging into his skin, making him wince. He looked up and tried to smile comfortingly at his girlfriend, who was practically in tears now. Ino was backed up against another cabinet, nervously fingering the handle.

"All right," the man said, smashing his hands together in success. "You I need alive." The man turned to eye the girls, who shrunk slightly under his scrutiny. "Them I don't."

"Don't you lay a FINGER on them!" Naruto hissed vehemently. "Or I swear to God, you'll die!"

The man laughed and kicked Naruto in the head. Naruto grunted as Hinata cried out, trying to run to his side. The man grabbed her and held her back.

"Now, maybe if you let-" the man began.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" yelled Naruto, rolling over and lashing out at the man with his legs. The man cried out, tripping, and Hinata scrambled away to Naruto's side, beginning to untie the knots binding his hands together.

"Don't move!" yelled the man, pointing his gun at Hinata again. She appeared to freeze, but subtly continued untying Naruto.

"I'm going to kill her," said the man, "and then I'm gonna kill the other one. But I'm gonna have fun first." he smirked. "And you're going to watch."

Hinata whimpered, finishing with Naruto's knot. He flung his arms around her protectively.

"Please," said Naruto softly. "Let them go, and... And I'll come with you without struggling."

Hinata made a sound of protest, but the man just cackled.

"No can do, kid," he said. "Any others are supposed to die." He began to raise his gun. "Orders from the boss."

A shot rang out. Hinata cried out and Naruto winced, shielding her and expecting the pain to come.

It didn't.

He opened his eyes and realized what had happened. Hinata was sobbing in his arms.

And Ino was holding a gun, legs a bit shaky but her arms steady. She was paler than she had been before.

The cabinet behind her was ajar a bit.

The man's body lay crumpled on the ground. Blood pooled and Naruto quickly looked away, turning Hinata to his chest.

Naruto was about to check his pocket for his cell phone when the gun in Ino's hands smashed into the ground as she fell to her knees. Naruto pulled Hinata's hood back over her head and turned her away from the body and made a move to go to Ino's side. Ino lashed out, viciously striking his arm away and scratching him in the process. He made a small yelling sound as he retracted his arm hastily.

"I... Don't..." Ino looked up at Naruto, her eyes clouded and teary, opened slightly wide in a confused way. "I just... _KILLED_... a..." her hands went to her hair, running softly through it. As Naruto looked on helplessly, she stooped and brought her hands to her face, staring at them as if they were something new to her, something awful.

Naruto took a deep breath and reached into his pant pocket. The feeling of his cell phone was oddly reassuring, and he brought it out and dialed the police to inform them of the whole ordeal.

Earlier that day he had been on a date with his amazing girlfriend and had felt invincible.

Now, he was one insignificant being whose existence had just brought two young women into the horrifying adult world of death and murder.

Not to mention flinging him along for the ride.

But there was one thing Naruto was sure of now.

If Sound was behind this, there would be war. Oh, there would be war.

**Authors note: Phew, hard chapter to write! I'm no good with action, so I relied on suspense mostly. Tell me how it went!**

**The way I interpreted these lyrics was that they came in as children who horse around and who were naive, and came out adults having realized the world is full of more bad than good. I used that in the story: they were kids energized by new horizons, enjoying romance and gossip and joking and teasing each other, but after certain experiences were thrust into the real world of conniving and scheming and evil and death. Don't worry, there is hope! And yes, Ino is about to have a breakdown. The next chapter will start out after she already has, so let it be assumed that yes, yes she did have a mental breakdown.**

**I love Ino, hated writin this. But Naruto's view on death needs to change because of his personal encounters with it later on in the story. I think the only character who won't be affected in some way or another will be Kurenai, since she's already been affected. So yeah. Peace out. It's 11.30 and I've got school tomorrow, specifically cramming for the AP World History exam coming up in a few weeks. So yeaaaahh.**

**R&R so I know about your opinions/suggestions/critiques. If a flame is your version of a critique, then fine, idc. Flame away. Sticks and stones, after all. ;P**

**K, bye!**


	5. Please

"And we learned fast

To travel light" - Billy Joel, Goodnight Saigon

**Disclaimer: I own neither the Naruto character nor Goodnight Saigon. Those rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Billy Joel, respectively.**

School continued the next day. Hinata and Naruto went.

Ino didn't. The police had ushered her into an ambulance while she sobbed on Naruto's cell phone until he had retrieved it from her, incoherently crying out to her mother on the other line. Naruto and Hinata had been taken to the most secure police station in the city, where Kushina and Minato had rushed to their sides.

And through all of it, Naruto and Hinata had clung to each other as if their lives depended on it.

In a way, they did.

"Sasuke was _so_ brave," said Sakura proudly, hugging her boyfriend. "Those men came into the shop, and Sasuke distracted them long enough for the police to respond to the manager's call." Sasuke smirked, even though it didn't reach his eyes. "He saved us!"

"Phah, those guys didn't know how to fight at all. They didn't even have weapons. Piece of cake."

"Did you hear?" asked Tenten worriedly. "The Hokage's office was set on fire!"

"It was already evacuated," responded Naruto automatically. Beside him, Hinata tiredly rested her head on his shoulder; it felt so different from yesterday, but it was a small comfort that it still felt so right.

"Oh."

"But how did they get into the village without being identified?" asked Lee. "They were carrying weapons! The guards at the gates-"

"Weren't there," said Hinata softly. "Naruto and I went passed the gates, and they weren't standing there. They probably... Probably killed them. And... They probably saw us and followed us to..." Her voice trailed off when she noticed Naruto gripping her more tightly.

"They were attacked at Ino's," explained Neji. "Ino shot the man. She's in the hospital to... mentally recover." He finished hesitantly, careful not to worry the others, but also not revealing information that wasn't his to reveal.

There was a bit of silence before Sakura stood quickly.

"Sasuke, gimme your cell phone. Mine's in my locker."

Her boyfriend silently reached into his pocket and passed it to her below the lunch table.

The pink-haired girl texted something quickly and then snapped Sasuke's phone closed.

"Who was that?" asked Kiba, raising an eyebrow.

"I told my mom I'd be at the hospital. I'm gonna take the bus." She stood; Sasuke stood along with her.

"Not alone," he said. For a moment, Sakura looked as if she might burst into tears (she was touched), but then she nodded, and the two turned and left the cafeteria.

The remainder of the group was silent for a while.

"Hey," murmured Naruto. His friends looked up.

"Those jerks." Naruto's signature smile graced his face; and unlike Sasuke, the blonde's eyes glittered in amusement. "They didn't throw their trash out."

The English class that day was odd.

"All of you are to read this book," declared Kakashi-sensei, lifting a hard-bound novel off his desk. "Ender's Game. We'll be going over rhetorical strategies and sentence patterns in preparation, but I'm just gonna tell you: I expect a three-page persuasive essay on my desk before the end of the term. You will find something within the book that you agree or disagree with, and then debate your opinion through your essay."

The fact that Kakashi didn't bother to look up from his perverted book irked his students even more than the fact that he had rammed a sudden (large) homework assignment on their shoulders.

"Sensei!" called one girl. "Whaddaya mean, essay?"

"As in, e-s-s-a-y," replied her teacher, not batting an eye. "Three pages. Due in roughly two months."

"Kakashi-sensei," said Sakura, raising her hand. "Why Ender's Game?"

Kakashi looked up from his book; the look he gave her made her shiver.

Even Sasuke felt a sudden chill in the room.

"Ender's path to adulthood is a quick, involuntary thing." Kakashi did not elaborate.

He didn't have to.

Naruto couldn't have any more dates with Hinata. Both his parents and Hinata's kin-folk had freaked when they'd found out their children had nearly been killed in the mass hunt for the Uzumaki-Namikaze family. Now, Hinata had a strict curfew of 5.30, and he himself had to report directly to his mother's car immediately after school.

But he understood. He had considered breaking up with Hinata to keep her safe from being a target as well, but it was inevitable that her name would get out eventually. So would Ino's. Naruto's father had quietly shared with his family over dinner the previous evening that the ninja who had cornered him, Ino, and Hinata had been one of the more important figures in the sick game Sound was playing. Already, things that shouldn't have been leaked- the fact that the hostile overhead plane had been identified; the blood Ino now had on her hands to protect her friends; the whereabouts of the captured ninja- had been flying around his school as rumors by the end of the day. It would be simple for Sound's spies to use this information to their advantage.

But Naruto decided he was going to be selfish.

If being with Hinata brought danger to her, then he would just have to be by her side constantly to protect her.

It seemed like years had passed since he'd taken Sasuke's dare to date her. A sick feeling of regret washed over him. Hinata would be heartbroken if she knew the original reason for his asking her out. But being with her was so real, made him feel so alive and energized, that he wondered now how he couldn't have realized he had more reasons to be with her before.

A tap on the shoulder made him come to his senses. His eyes met Kurenai's.

"Homework?" she asked. Naruto blinked stupidly, then shook his head. Kurenai nodded and continued down his row, picking papers up. Naruto glanced to his left to see Hinata nervously twiddling her fingers; it was probably her first time not having homework to turn in all year. Naruto felt a twinge of guilt before brushing it aside. It wasn't his fault. It couldn't have been.

Right?

"Naruto, come here."

The boy suppressed a groan. The day was over; math was his last class. If Kurenai-sensei wanted to talk about his grades, he didn't have an excuse anymore. With Hinata's new curfew, it would be impossible for him to be tutored by her now.

"Yes?" he asked glumly. He was sure his teacher could see his far-off, glum look, but Kurenai didn't point it out.

Hinata passed by him and put her hand reassuringly on his shoulder, smiling encouragingly before retreating from the room to head home.

Once the girl had left, the teacher spoke.

"I've been meaning to tell you."

Great. She was gonna fail him. Naruto didn't bother suppressing a groan. After everything he'd been through and everything going through his mind, a failing grade was gonna be thrown into the mix. Splendid. _Not_.

"But I didn't think I'd done that badly on the quiz," he moaned, practically wailing at his female sensei. "I just didn't have time to study! I mean, you _know why_, I _KNOW_ you know, but come on! I _need_ to pass this class; don't let me fail! I'll do extra credit, or somethi-"

"Naruto," cut in Kurenai-sensei. Naruto gulped and looked to his teacher.

"I'm not failing you," she said, "although you _DID_ do poorly on the quiz." She confided as Naruto let out an "Oh" of relief. "It took me a long time, and I put a lot of thinking into it, and I've decided to nominate you for the IMAARS competition."

Naruto was struck speechless for about five seconds.

"A competition?" he yelled excitedly. "What kind of competition?"

"A math one," replied Kurenai bluntly.

Naruto's face fell rapidly.

"B-but I'm _HORRIBLE_ at math," replied the boy skeptically.

"It's not just about skill," replied his teacher. "The IMAARS is an international contest for improved students. All the others will be just like you; not good at the beginning, but with a solid grasp of their math by the time the competition begins in the spring. IMAARS stands for International Math Assessment of Algebra Rudimentary Skills."

"Isn't that grammatically awkward?" asked Naruto.

"That's why I selected you," replied Kurenai, smirking down at him. "Your wit and sharp eye keep you on your toes. The questions are meant to fool you, make you skip up; they're tricky, and as you so often say, who better to t-"

"-Trick than a trickster like me," finished Naruto, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, I _am_ really amazing, so even a _math_ competition should be easy for me to breeze through," He stuck his nose up in the air pompously. "I _AM_ the Fourth Hokages son, after all."

"That really has nothing to do with it," replied Kurenai. "Point your nose back to the ground, Namikaze. You've got a lot of work to do if you want to win that competition."

"No problemo," replied Naruto.

"And I understand about your tutoring situation," added his teacher. "I've come up with a solution for that."

"Hmm?"

"Lunch. Here. Wednesdays and Thursdays. _I_ will be tutoring you."

Naruto let out a loud protest.

"IMAARS?" asked Minato. Kushina was in the kitchen cooking something with cheese that had a spicy scent wafting towards the men in the living room. "As long as the political situation remains stable, I don't see why not."

"Mom thought it was a great idea, too," said Naruto, "but now that you mention politics, I..."

Minato smiled consolingly at his son.

"It'll be fine. The competition would be in Lightning, who's an allied Country to us. Sound would be hard-pressed to pull any stunts there." Minato's expression darkened. "I'm sorry," continued the Yondaime. "If I hadn't approved the transfer of evening guards from the gates to the inner city, this might not have happened."

"It's not your fault, dad," said Naruto. "That saved their lives. The Sound nin would've killed those guards, too."

"But maybe your friend wouldn't have had t-"

"If Ino hadn't shot that guy, I would be dead, and so would Hinata. Ino knew that. I saw her, she was reaching for the gun long before the man actually raised his weapon to kill."

"But it's no excuse for a child to have to have done that deed," countered the elder Namikaze. "If security had been tighter, fewer lives would have been lost. On both sides."

A silence ensued as Naruto contemplated his father's words; Minato was lost in contemplating the future.

"Spaghetti's ready!" yelled Kushina from the kitchen, startling the men from their own thoughts. "Come here and set the table!"

Naruto began to rise, but his father put his hand on his sons shoulder, lightly restraining him.

"I'll do it," said the elder Namikaze, and he went to aid his wife in dinner preparations.

Watching his father walk away, Naruto realized he had never before seen the older man seem so... _Old_. Minato's steps were weary, and his shoulders sagged. Even the tips of his blonde hair seemed to droop.

It struck Naruto that his father had lived through one war in his life already; he was by no means young any longer. If war were declared, his father (who took his role as military as well as political leader seriously) would be on the battlefield to fight along with the troops.

Even with his unfailing faith in has father, Naruto doubted how long his father's strength (and luck) could hold out in a drawn-out war.

He was about to stand and go make himself useful when a vibration in his pocket caught his attention. He took his cell phone out of the pocket and looked at the number.

His heart skipped a beat.

Sakura.

"Hello?" he asked nervously.

Sakura was with Ino. Sasuke had texted the blonde when he and his girlfriend had arrived at the hospital.

"Naruto?" asked his pink-haired friend.

Naruto only barely refrained from frowning. Sakura sounded tired, a little panicked, and...

"Are you crying?" he asked. A staggered breath and a muffled whimper answered him.

"It's... It's Ino," said Sakura, her breathing ragged. "She... She..."

The worst tried to creep into Naruto's mind; he pushed it aside. Ino was strong, she would never kill herself.

But that was before she had killed another person...

"She what, Sakura?" asked Naruto. He kept his tone as neutral as possible. "What?"

"She... They found her on the way to the roof... To..."

Naruto's heart sank.

_No_, he thought, _It can't be, it CAN'T-_

"She didn't, I mean, b-b-but, they asked her, and she told them she was gonna... gonna..."

And the proud Haruno broke down in tears. Naruto's heart broke every second he heard her let out a sob.

This was all his fault.

"Sakura, where is she? And where's Sasuke?"

"Sasuke-kun's inside with her, b-but... Oh, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto felt frozen suddenly. Sakura had never before referred to him as someone dear to her; it was either no suffix at all or a -chan attached, both used to tease him and reinforce her superiority in maturity levels. That she was so torn apart by seeing Ino torn apart that she would let it slip that Naruto, too, was a loved one for her...

"I'm... But I can't come see you..." he said softly, miserably. "Curfew, dinner, and I don't think... I wouldn-"

"Naruto-kun, _PLEASE_," sobbed Sakura on the other line. Her voice meshed with static. "She needs... Ino needs to know th-that what she did h-h-had a re-reason! She doesn't remember _why_ she did it, Naruto-kun! B-B-But if she sees you... If she sees you, she'll remember."

**AN: Tough chapter to write. In my opinion, "To travel light" not only refers to literally travel with the bare essentials, but to also mentally let go of killing and be free from the burden of guilt.**

**And of course, that would apply perfectly to both Naruto and Ino. And Hinata, technically, but it was really Naruto and Ino who were affected the most by the event. Hinata hasn't yet realized how close to death she was. Will she? I'm sure she will, but the encounter will be farther ahead.**

**Also, I know Naruto doesn't have the guilt off his shoulders. Next chapter shall address it. But he will still feel guilty. Guilt rarely ever goes away completely for something big, y'know?**

**Critiques? Comments? Suggestions? Flames? Review please!**


	6. Heal

"Our arms were heavy

but our bellies were tight"

- Billy Joel, "Goodnight Saigon"

**Disclaimer: Naruto es la propiedad de**

**Masashi Kishimoto y Goodnight Saigon es la de Billy Joel. (I got bored y'all. Sorry.)**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The walls were white. Far too white. They looked like a cloud, only they were too bright from sunlight to look at; they hurt.

Naruto could only grimace at the thought of pain in a place of healing. It made no sense to him.

He looked for the room number: 851 L. 8th floor, room 51 of the L hallway.

At last, his eyes alighted on the room. Beneath the room numbers was a paper slip slid onto the board: Yamanaka, Ino.

Naruto nervously felt himself take a step back.

He knew coming here was a bad idea. His parents had said it was okay, and had called Hiashi to try to convince him to let Hinata come as well. Of course, being Hyugas, they had said they would bring her during visiting hours the following day, but here _he_ was, late in the evening, preparing to break an already mentally broken girl to even more pieces.

He hadn't eaten any dinner, either. His mom had probably left the food in the refrigerator, to keep it fresh to eat later upon returning home.

Naruto felt a little broken himself.

He forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down. Sakura had said Ino needed him.

He took a step forward and opened the door.

He was always there for a friend in need.

The first thing he noticed were the whitewashed walls. They were getting on his nerves.

The second thin he noticed was the dim lighting. As if Ino needed to be any _more_ depressed, they'd stuck her in the most dismal hospital room possible? This was unacceptable! He oughta-

There were no windows.

It blew Naruto's mind.

But of course, considering the incident Sakura had described, it was no wonder...

The pinkette's hair stuck out. She sat alongside Sasuke, resting on his shoulder; the couple was sleeping peacefully. Naruto couldn't understand how they could possibly rest in a hellhole like this room, how they could _possibly_-

"Look at me, Naruto."

Ino's voice rang out across the room. Naruto bit his lip. He had been avoiding meeting her eyes intentionally; he wasn't ready to face the girl who had blood on her hands because of _him_.

Slowly, he looked at the blonde.

He wished he hadn't. Her hair, usually so carefully taken care of, was unkempt and strewn about her in such an uncaring manner Naruto shivered. Her skin was paler than usual. She had an I.V in her arm; Naruto couldn't fathom why.

"My _eyes,_ Naruto."

Her voice sounded like a command, but it was so weak he realized immediately she was pleading with him, begging him to acknowledge her.

His eyes slid to her face.

Her eyes were the same blue.

And suddenly the light seemed to brighten considerably in the room.

Her eyes were the same blue, her hair the same shade; she held herself in the same manner. Her cheeks were the same pink as always, her lips the same red.

She wasn't broken. She was just chipped.

"Naruto," she asked. Her voice was weak, but it was still her voice: the same ringing timbre, the same distinct clarity in her tone. "Are you okay?"

The irony of the situation hit him; the girl who had been forced to kill a man to save his life, the same girl who had consequently had a mental breakdown because of it, was asking him if he was okay.

Then he realized she wasn't really asking that.

It was something else she was asking, something she could never ask aloud. He realized she must have asked her other friends the same question, and they had answered her with a, "Fine," or "Good."

That wasn't. The answer to her real question.

"Yes," replied Naruto. "We will be."

Yes, what she had done was right; yes, they would all come out of it unscathed. They would all heal.

Ino closed her eyes; a serene expression graced her features.

"All right." Pause. "Me, too."

She was fine. She wasn't broken.

She would live.

She would be all right.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Naruto was late. Naturally. Sasuke's car had been fixed (curiously, a smashed piston was the cause and Sakura had hastily changed the subject when it was brought up) and the Uchiha was no longer in Naruto's room to wake the sleepy blonde up. So, of course, Naruto did not awaken.

Well, not until his mother dumped a bottle of water (that she had put in the refrigerator earlier that morning to drink when she got home) on him, anyway.

Naruto was up like a light, reeling from the cold.

"Hey, hey, what gives?" he cried, jumping from his bed.

"If you're not ready to go in _TWO MINUTES_," replied his mother, "I'm leaving you behind." With that, she wheeled around and stomped off, leaving the dripping boy to process what she had said.

And Naruto sprung into action, slipping on clean (dry!) clothes and grabbing his backpack as he slid socks over his feet. After slipping into his shoes, he sped downstairs.

He was about to head for the kitchen when he saw his mother exit it.

"Thirty seconds," she told him as she passed. Naruto let out a groan and turned directions and ran back upstairs to his bathroom, where he quickly brushed his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. Then he was off again, this time taking the steps two at a time. He grabbed his wallet sitting on the cabinet by the door, ran outside and leapt into the car pulling out of the driveway.

"Twenty seconds late," teased Kushina. Her son could only grumble in reply, complaining about having no breakfast.

The drive to school was a silent one, and recollections of the previous night filled Naruto's head.

Ino was fine for now, but what would happen if the the draft...?

Naruto didn't want to think about it.

But he knew it was coming. His father hadn't mentioned it, but the older man had not mentioned the political situation for a few days now; things had to be bad if he didn't want to worry his family. The already downward spiraling relationship was only worsened by the events recently in Konoha, but even before then things had been going sour. Sound had begun illegally hiring Akatsuki, the underground mafia known for their assassinations.

Akatsuki was out for the so-called "Kyubi" charm in the possession of the youngest Uzumaki heir. That was him. He wore the Kyubi "charm" daily, although it was a symbolic heirloom that was worn on a string necklace until the age of 17, at which point the string was traded for a chain. It signified conquering ones inner darkness. It wasn't anything special in Naruto's mind, but Akatsuki wanted it so badly they were willing to kill him for it.

That clearly didn't go over so well.

And that Sound was openly allying themselves with an enemy of Konoha's wasn't taken kindly, either.

Naruto grimaced and pulled out his necklace from under his school shirt.

On the top, a rectangular purple figure, almost crystal-like in its appearance, hung. It had been a gift from Tsunade, who told him to never give up on his dreams.

He half-smiled. With everything going on lately, his dreams had receded to the far corners of his mind. But his goal of becoming Hokage after his father was still there.

A hand grabbed his necklace. He yelped as he heard the characteristic clinking sound of the Kyubi bumping into Tsunade's charm.

"You need to take better care of Kyubi," said his mother, inspecting the fox charm hidden behind the crystal one. "Kyubi might get mad at you if you don't."

Naruto grinned at his mothers teasing comment. "Aren't you supposed to be driving?" he replied, motioning in front of him. His mother waved her hand nonchalantly and continued admiring the Uzumaki heirloom.

The Kyubi was a wooden nine-tailed fox, hand-carved, with a swirl carved onto its belly. According to legend, the Uzumaki clan had once sealed a fox demon inside the little piece of wood, and the fate of the wearer was directly tied to that of the fox's. If the charm broke, the wearer died. If the charm was chipped, the wearer might lose a limb mysteriously. And if the charm was lost, the wearer would become ill.

Naruto had lost the charm on a number of occasions, though, and had been just fine. Even if a demon had been sealed inside the wood, his mother had explained to him a few years ago that the charm was one of many worn by Uzumaki members. Before her clan had been killed in the Second International War, Kushina was one of many to wear such an item, having received it from her mother before her. Apparently, it was supposed to be passed from mother to daughter, but Kushina was never one to follow tradition. Plus, as she reminded him constantly, he was her only child; she didn't need a girl version of him running around, too.

"Mom," he groaned, snatching his necklace from her grasp. "You're gonna crash!"

The woman huffed and turned forward again. "What color are the eyes?" she asked after a moment.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Also according to legend, the Kyubis eyes changed color to alert the wearer of impending danger or fortune. Naruto didn't really believe in it; one time its eyes were green (the color of luck and greed, according to his mother) and the only thing that had happened that day had been being dragged to some place with his mother and father. He had been seven. It had been crowded and he had been jostled a lot. It had probably been a campaign for his father of some sort, but Naruto remembered it bitterly.

He had ended up barfing on someone because he hadn't felt so good under all the lights that had been flashing around him. To this day, Naruto still felt uneasy around publicity because of that even of his child.

So green was luck? Yeah, sure, and he was also a ninja.

_NOT_.

He looked down at the Kyubi in his hands and squinted at its face.

The eyes seemed to twinkle eerily.

"Uh... Red," he said. He slipped it back onto his neck.

His mother was silent.

"What?" asked Naruto. "What does red mean?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," laughed his mother. "Like you always say, it's probably nothing!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"What does it mean, Mom?"

Kushina fell silent, no longer forcing laughter.

"Mom?"

"Red is many things," she said seriously. "It can mean love, hatred, anger, war, or bliss. It... It's the unpredictable color."

Naruto smiled in spite of himself.

"I guess that explains it, then."

His mother smirked sadly, too.

"Yeah," she replied softly, "I guess you're right."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Naruto?"

The boy looked up from his lunch to see Hinata smiling down at him. He had been about to smart down some leftover spaghetti (courtesy of his mother), but now sheepishly smiled and put his fork back down in the food container. Hinata really didn't need to see him eat like a pig.

"Hi," he said, scooting over and motioning for he. To sit by him. She blushed and complied, sitting awkwardly beside him, ankles crossed.

"What's up?" he asked her, grinning.

"Uhm," she said nervously, " Nothing much. I, ah, I heard you visited Ino yesterday..."

Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I did." He saw Hinata look up at him, white-violet eyes glittering with concern. "She's fine," he added, "Or, she will be pretty soon. She told me she's hoping to get out of the hospital by the end of next week."

Hinata nodded, a bit relieved; but Naruto still caught a bit of a troubled look etched on he features as she reached into her purse to bring out her lunch bag.

"Well, anyways," said a voice, and the two looked up to see Kiba sliding into a seat across the table, "I'm more concerned about the physics test next period."

Naruto stared at his friend and Hinata gave the Inuzuka a reproachful look.

"What?" questioned Kiba. "I am!"

"Dude," interjected Naruto, "_You're_ taking _physics_?"

Kiba blinked innocently.

"Yes," he replied.

Naruto moaned.

"But I thought you and me were on the same intelligence level," cried the blonde. He then proceeded to bang his head on the table. His girlfriend hesitantly poked him; he only grunted to show any acknowledgment of it.

"What got him going?" asked Sakura's voice. Naruto heard her sit down beside him and proceed to join Hinata in prodding his head. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"He's probably just being an idiot," came Sasuke's voice from somewhere to his left. "He IS an idiot, so it shouldn't surprise anyone."

"Are you insinuating my cousin is dating an incompetent person?" asked Neji teasingly.

"Yes, I am."

Chouji added an, "Ooh, saw that one coming!" and Naruto finally had to sit up to defend his pride.

"Oi, teme, I'm not as much of an idiot as you!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Just keep telling yourself that."

"I'll keep telling _EVERYONE_ that, thank you very much!"

"All right, Naruto-_chan,"_ teased Sakura. "We believe you."

"Yeah, you guys had better!"

Hinata giggled beside him, and the blonde shot her a grin that made her go red in the face.

"I hate to interrupt," said a female voice from behind Naruto, "but I believe you're supposed to come with me, Namikaze."

Naruto's grin fell slightly as he turned to face his teacher.

"B-But, But Kurenai-sensei, I-"

"It's a Thursday, Naruto," said his teacher, ignoring his spluttering. "If you want to participate in IMAARS, you'll need every bit of extra learning you can get. Come on."

Naruto grumbled a goodbye to his friends and pecked his somewhat crestfallen girlfriend on the cheek before dragging himself off to his teachers room for math, math, and more math.

And it was only when the bell rang that he realized he hadn't taken a single bite of his food.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was in his math class (the last class he had for the day) when he heard the sirens a second time.

"Attention citizens," said his Father's voice over the intercom; it sounded far-off and staticky, suggesting it was being played on a stereo being picked up by the intercom. "Please stay indoors. We're going into a temporary lock-down; there are suspicious characters roaming Konoha. Please, lock your doors and do not let anyone in, under any circumstances. Police will be patrolling, but don't take any chances; stay indoors."

Kurenai had leapt into action the moment she had registered it was the Hokage's speech being broadcast. She swiftly closed the blinds on the windows and barked out an order for someone to snap the lights off; then she went and locked the door to the classroom.

"Everyone, out of the desks. Move this way, against the walls."

The class did as she commanded; Naruto took Hinata's trembling hand into his own, steady palm and stroked it reassuringly. He and the Hyuga girl sat together in a corner; everyone musher together. Kurenai sat herself next to the Uzumaki.

"No speaking, no whispering," she said. The murmuring died down. "Everything will be okay, I promise." She smiled at each of her students.

For what felt like days, Naruto sat like that, clinging to Hinata. She quaked in his arms, but as time passed her shaking receded to an occasional shiver.

Naruto knew why. What they had been through with Ino should have been more than enough.

He wondered suddenly how Ino was holding up. The hospital was probably secure, but he worried more for her mental state. Would she be reliving the earlier experience she had had right now...?

A sudden vibration in his pocket caught him off guard, and he yelped. Hinata flinched in his arms as he rummaged around in his pocket, nervously laughing at the glares he received from his classmates and teacher.

He knew who it would be before he picked up.

"Are you all right, Naruto?"

"Yeah, mom, we're all fine," he said.

"Well, be careful, sweetie," came his mothers voice on the other line. "They're looking for you again. Any of us, actually. Hinata and Ino, too."

Naruto felt himself go cold at that, and he held Hinata tighter.

"Is Ino okay?" he asked hurriedly.

"Mmm," replied his mother, "she's in the same place as your father. Plenty of security. I'm good, too. Is Hinata with you, then?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"Okay. The police should be at your school right now. Can I talk to your teacher? Who do you have right now?"

"Kurenai-sensei," he said into the phone, and then motioned to his teacher. "My mom wants to talk to you."

Kurenai nodded and took the phone.

"Yes, Mrs. Namikaze?" she said, standing. After a few moments, she walked to the window and peeked out. "...No. They aren't. Should they be? ...Oh. Yeah, right, no, everything's fine, we've followed procedure, and-" suddenly his teacher took in a quick breath. "Kushina," she said hurriedly into the phone, "What color are the... No, not them, the _other_ vehicles..." She pursed her lips. "Yes. I know. I will. I will, even if it kills me. No, Kushina, just hurry and tell them to get their asses over here," she hissed. She snapped the phone closed and pointed to a boy.

"Press the intercom, hurry," she snapped.

Hinata let out a whimper and Naruto grimaced.

"Office," said the voice of Shizune, the secretary.

"Blue alert," said Kurenai, "Shizune, blue alert. They're here."

There was a click, and then the intercom sputtered to life throughout the school.

"Attention teachers, please note that blue folders are due at the end of the day. Blue folders are due at the end of the day."

Then the intercom snapped off.

And the classroom was silent.

Kurenai dashed over to Naruto's side.

"Whatever it takes, all of you," she said seriously, "Don't die."

Less than a moment later, they heard screams below them. Naruto cringed as he heard a shot ring out. A muffled scream was followed by another shot.

Hinata was trembling again in his arms.

He was shaking, too, he was sure.

A few moments later, he heard crashing glass as a window was broken. He had no way of knowing if someone was trying to escape or break in, but the sound only made him snap back to reality.

He wouldn't lose Hinata or anyone else here.

Not like this.

He hugged Hinata and then lunged for his desk. He ignored the hissed warnings from his fellow students and rummaged around in his backpack.

He got what he needed and then dove back to where Hinata was calling to him in a hushed tone.

His teacher shook her head at him.

"You're gonna get it for that," she whispered vehemently to him. He didn't reply and instead whipped his cell phone open and texted his friends.

Are you okay?

Almost immediately, he began receiving replies.

Sakura: Yes, but I'm in a bathroom. On the first floor. Oh god, I'm so scared but I didn't tell Sasuke because then he might try and get me... Tell him I love him, okay?

Kiba: Shit, man, hell no I'm not! 2nd floor right above the... You know.

Chouji: Yes, but not sure for how long.

Sasuke: yeah where sakura shes not replying

Shikamaru: yes. u?

He received no reply from Shino. Naruto frowned and silently prayed Shino just didn't have his phone on or with him.

He told Sakura to stay put and to not think like that; Kiba, to quit being a sissy; to Chouji, to be strong; to Shikamaru, an "I'm fine."

And then the screaming resumed. It was in the opposite side of the first floor, but still very real. More broken glass, more gunshots, and then yells and screams.

And then the intercom came on.

"If Uzumaki Naruto is in your classroom, give him up. We will leave when we have him."

Naruto shivered.

"They're lying."

He looked down to see his girlfriend, her face focused and unmarred by her earlier fear.

"They've been ordered to kill anyone who notices their presence. That means every single person in this building will die if we turn Naruto over to them."

He looked at his classmates.

"We wouldn't do that, anyways," said a girl with brown hair. "Naruto's who they're after; as long as they haven't found him, they won't kill us all."

Well, thought Naruto as he mentally flinched, that was one way of thinking about it...

"If we give them Naruto, we surrender," said Kurenai. The students looked at her. "If we give them Naruto, we lose."

Silence ensued before Hinata spoke.

"Konoha doesn't lose."

Naruto saw every classmate nod their head.

"So what are we waiting for?" asked Naruto. "Let's give 'em a surprise attack of our own!"

"Not you, Naruto-kun," said Hinata softly, pushing him away from her. "Us."

And then he felt his arms restrained by five classmates while the others broke the door down and flooded into the hallway. Hinata shot him a weak smile before following. His teacher protested but then looked at him and set her jaw.

"Here," she said, reaching into her purse, "Use this if it comes down to it."

A student took the smoke bomb she passed to them, an then she ran outside, kicking her heels off.

"K-Kurenai-sensei!" cried Naruto. "Th-the baby!" He looked at his classmates. "What about her baby?" he screamed at them.

"She's made her choice, Naruto," said a male holding his arm. "And we've made ours."

"They won't shoot me," he hissed at them. "They want me alive, but they'll kill you without a second thought! If we go out there together, then you've got a chance!"

Naruto saw a girl shake her head.

"We're gonna die for you if we have to," she said. But he saw her lip tremble as she spoke.

She was scared. He looked at each of the other four in the room. They all were doing their own little thing that gave it away: biting a lip, fidgety eyes, an impatiently tapping foot, grinding teeth.

He knew they were all just as scared as he was.

With a mighty roar, he wrenched himself free of them. Before they could grab him again, he grabbed the smoke bomb and whipped his throwing knife out.

"Don't," he said. They halted, and he spun on his heel.

Hinata! he thought, running. He heard some screams and a battle cry of some sort as his feet pounded down the stairwell.

"C'mon, c'mon," he muttered, taking them three at a time. The first floor doors came into view. He leapt and slammed into the ground, rolling to reduce the pressure on his legs. Then he rammed the doors open.

It was like opening the gates to Hell.

People were running in all directions, screaming and yelling. He caught sight of Hinata sprinting around a corner and followed her.

But then he saw the girls bathroom sign and slammed the door open there.

"Sakura?" he cried.

"N-Naruto?" asked Sakura. He ran to the stall she unlocked.

"Take this," he said, panting, shoving his cell phone and the throwing knife into her hands.

And before she could say a word, he had turned around and fled back into the hallway to find his girlfriend.

Before the attackers did.

**AN: Cliffyyyy! XDDDDD u guys had better be thankful, I wrote this instead of studying for two tests I have tomorrow (one in English, one in Madrigals). T.T OH, be VERY thankful.**

**Review, please!**

**And also, do any if you know how to add dividers? I can't figure it out! Wah!**

**So yeah. REVIEW!**


	7. the First Battle

"We had no home front, we had no soft soap"

-Billy Joel, "Goodnight Saigon

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Goodnight Saigon. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto an Billy Joel, respectively.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

He found her dodging a bullet, sliding to the side with a small "eep" escaping her lips. He himself had to dodge the same bullet, yanking himself back around the corner.

_Darnit_, he thought, peeking around the corner. He heard Sakura call him and knew she had followed him. But he focused on his girlfriend.

She was still running forward, and ducked another bullet.

"There, I think I saw him!" yelled a male voice.

Hinata whipped her head around and paled when she saw Naruto's blonde head peering from around the corner. She flung herself at one of the gunmen, yelling.

Naruto sprinted into action, charging.

"Hinata!" he cried. He vaguely noted that he was not the only person running; his classmates, as well as other students (Tenten, for one) were also charging the enemy.

Hinata tackled the man to the ground, wrestling for the gun. Naruto saw another man reaching for her, and another begin to raise a gun to her.

_No_, he thought in a panic. _I'm too far still, I-_

And then Shino was beside Hinata, roundhouse kicking the man who had nearly shot Hinata. The Hyuga girl noticed the man reaching for her and swept her foot out, kicking his knee. He stumbled, and Hinata continued to fight the fallen man over the weapon.

And then Naruto was by her side. He grabbed the gun as well, and together, they yanked it from the man. He then punched the dude in the face as Hinata scurried off him.

"_THAT'S_ for attacking us!" he yelled. He heard Sakura let out a "SHANAROOO!" and glanced over to see her punch an assailant in the stomach. He cringed as he saw the kunai in her hands; it already had blood dripping off of it.

"Hinata," said the blonde, turning his attention to his girlfriend. He tried to hand her the gun, but she shook her head.

"Duck, you guys!" screamed Tenten from somewhere in front of Hinata. Naruto reacted instinctively, yanking his girlfriend down with him; he heard the whizz of a bullet barely miss their heads as they slammed into the ground.

In a flash, he was pushing himself back up.

"Don't shoot him!" he heard someone yell, along with a, "Don't let them get Naruto!"

_They want me alive..._

He took the gun and raised it to his head.

The fighting stopped. Not a single person from either side moved.

"N-Naruto?" asked Hinata, frozen midway in getting back up.

"Shoot anyone else and I die," snarled Naruto. He looked around him, identifying the attackers amongst the sea of chaos. They were obvious, dressed in black clothes that were a stark contrast to the white and khaki school uniformed students. The wounded were lying on the ground, looking up if they could; he saw pools of blood here and there and cringed. He avoided looking at their faces; good or bad, the dead were dead, and he didn't want anything to do with them right now.

He certainly didn't want to see the face of anyone he might know among them.

"Lower the gun, boy," said an assailant slowly. "Or we shoot every person here."

Naruto tightened his grip on the gun and cocked the trigger.

"Do anything," he said, "And I mean ANYTHING, that might make me twitch, and I'm a goner."

Naruto heard Hinata take a sharp intake of breath. There was a stirring of some kind among the students, a rousing of sorts, and slowly, starting with Hinata, they shifted back into their fighting stances. In his peripheral vision he saw Sakura raise her bloody kunai and saw the attackers becoming tense with anticipation.

And then Sasuke rounded the corner, dashing, a box of baseball bats from the gym rattling in his hands, and after a momentary pregnant pause in which all eyes were on the Uchiha, confusion resumed. Sasuke literally had to drop the box and roll backwards as students and enemies alike converged on the box to grab a weapon; those who were already armed or willing to fight empty-handed charged. Naruto could only watch as Hinata slipped away amongst the crowded war-field that had once been a hallway. He was helpless to defend himself of anyone else, with the gun poised at his head. He occasionally caught a glimpse of someone he knew: Sasuke fighting over a baseball bat with an enemy, Tenten punching a temporary path to the other end of the hallway, Sakura slashing down an assailant headed for him. And then Naruto felt Hinata tentatively brush his arm with her fingers. He hadn't registered how or when she had returned to him. He felt her slide them up his arm towards the gun, felt her finger the metal death-machine in his palm.

And then he felt his hand being jerked sideways, away from his head.

He felt the gun shoot; the reverberations strained his arm muscles and he struggled not to stumble backwards.

He heard a scream and knew that whoever Hinata had aimed for had been hit.

He felt tears soak his chest as he held Hinata in one hand to his chest, and the gun in the other, ready to defend them if needed.

He was not aware of Sakura's scream and Sasuke's roar. He was not aware of Shino's ragged breathing and Chouji's shouts of desperation. He was not aware of police sirens, distant at first, and then glaringly loud; he was not aware of weapons raised, arms raised, shots fired, screams and cries of fear and relief and pain and exhaustion and grief.

He was aware only of the girl in his arms.

Unbidden, the thought came to him:

There were now two porcelain dolls he had smashed into pieces. One was fixed, or at least partly repaired.

One might never be.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

When Naruto visited the white walls of the hospital again, he did not come for just one person. This time, he had four trips to make.

He first stopped at Shino's room. Chouji and Shikamaru had been by Shino's side since the boy with glasses had taken some bullets for them. None had been deadly; in fact, his sunglasses had, bizarrely, made the possibly most lethal bullet rebound. Shino was likely to be released in a few days, Naruto was informed. Shino himself was relatively unscathed by the whole ordeal, and admitted to Naruto that he would be a little proud of any scars that might be left behind.

The second stop was at Sakura's room. Sasuke and Sakura's mother sat with the girl hooked up to the ventilator, each clutching one of the pinkette's hands as if their very lives depended on it. When Naruto entered, it was like the room was suddenly lit up. Sakura's mother smiled, and Sasuke and Naruto teasingly bantered back and forth. After about thirty minutes, Sakura's eyes fluttered open, and she groaned. Naruto felt the atmosphere tense up. Sakura looked to Naruto, then at her mother, and finally at Sasuke, before smiling to hide her pain.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

Sasuke faked a smirk and struck up a mostly one-sided conversation with her (with him, oddly, being the more talkative this time around). Sakura nodded and smiled; Naruto noticed Sasuke said nothing that might make her laugh. He did not want to aggravate her healing stomach wound where one of the ninja had turned her –_My,_ thought Naruto bitterly– kunai against her. Sasuke, Naruto knew, was probably taking it worst, of all four of them in the room. He had seen his parents murdered, seen his entire family dead, and now had seen his girlfriend nearly be killed and had been powerless to do anything but cut down anyone who might want to finish her off. He had been too busy trying to protect her to be able to provide medical need; and it was only because Sakura herself knew first-aid that she was alive at all.

Naruto left after Sakura had drifted back to sleep. He did not want to risk seeing his best friend - the bravest, strongest person he knew - cry. He doubted Sasuke would, seeing how prideful the Uchiha was, but all the same, Naruto excused himself and headed to see the person who would be the most difficult for _HIM_ to see and not break down.

Hinata was looking out her window when he came in. She did not look away.

"Hey," he said after a long, awkward pause.

"Mm."

She still didn't look at him. He gulped. He, unlike Sasuke, had not been powerless. He had all the power in the world, with a gun at his temple. He had commanded absolute attention, total dominance and the utmost control over the situation.

Except that when the fighting ensued again, he couldn't bring himself to shoot the leader of the attackers.

He would have been the most obvious, the easiest, to kill. He was the only one who had been willing to talk to Naruto during the Uzumaki's power moment.

But Naruto couldn't do it. His arm had trembled, and his muscles had been so tense he had wondered if he would be able to move his arm at all.

And so Hinata had taken all the pressure, placed it on her shoulders, and let it crush her.

This time, it _had_ to be his fault.

"I..." He couldn't think of anything else to say. He wanted to break up, because he was the worst possible choice for her, but he couldn't, because she was all he had left that could possibly make his life better; but he had destroyed her, and unlike with Ino, she was not going to heal within a week or two of being within pure walls and hearing him say it would be okay.

Because, as it stood, it would _NEVER_ be okay again.

She turned to him. Faced him. Met his eyes.

She reached out her arms.

"Hold me...?"

It was so shy, so quiet, but Naruto ran to embrace her.

That was _his_ Hinata who had spoken, _his_ Hinata's eyes that had met his, _HIS_ Hinata who had reached for him.

She still needed him, too, even after everything. She did not blame him. It was not his fault to her.

That was all he could ever have asked for.

After a long time, he heard her sniff.

"Ha-have you _showered_, Naruto?" she asked, half-mockingly and half-seriously. Naruto laughed and pulled away slightly so he could see her face.

"Nope," he replied.

She squealed and pushed him away, and he laughed again.

"Eww!" she cried. "B-but it's been th-three days!"

Naruto grinned mischievously and opened his arms, looming over her.

"So it has," he said, and Hinata screamed and burst into giggles when he tackle-hugged her. Peals of laughter rang throughout the room, and Naruto and Hinata shooed the worried nurse who came in away. They held each other, letting the laughter die away slowly.

"I don't blame you," said Hinata finally. "I'm sure y-you're blaming yourself, b-b-but I wanted to get that gun aw-away from you, so I did."

Naruto blinked.

"Weren't you aiming for that guy, though?" he asked.

Hinata shook her head.

"No," she said. "But I knew I was go-gonna hit someone."

Naruto buried his head in the crook of her neck. Hinata was woozy for a moment, then got control of herself. She patted his head lightly, running her hand through the tangled spikes of his hair. She sniffed again.

"You still need to take a bath, Naruto."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The last person Naruto visited was Ino. She happily told him she was leaving the following day, to which he replied that he would be there to see her out. She grinned and nodded.

"And you know Hinata will be out in a week or two, right?" she said. Naruto shrugged.

"She'll be here as long as she needs to be here."

Ino laughed.

"No," she said, "Hinata will be here as long as she _wants_ to be here." In reply to his questioning glance, she continued, "Hinata is the sweetest person I know, but she's good at lying to everyone except _you_. She can't lie to you, she wouldn't even if she needed to. She loves you too much. That's why she's even in here at all: she loves you. We all do, actually," she added, "But she loves you most."

Naruto grinned.

"And I love all of you," he said. Ino smiled and sent him away, claiming she wanted her beauty sleep. Naruto left the hospital happily, confident in the well-beings of those he loved.

But the attacks were another story.

The grin fell off his face, replaced by a serious, contemplative look.

_This isn't how things should be going,_ he thought to himself as he walked towards his mother's car. Even the schools were not safe anymore. For all he knew, the next attack would obliterate the entire village. He shuddered at the thought. Konoha was his home. But home wasn't safe anymore.

He had to change things, fast. Before everything went down the drain for good. Already, his Father was beginning to make war preparations. Naruto was not willing to let his friends, who had been through so much already, lay down their lives for him again. He had to figure something out. Fast.

He wrinkled his nose.

Well, it could wait until he took a shower.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**AN: thanks to all my reviewers and watchers! You guys motivated me to hurry up and get my butt writing again, lol! I've been pretty down lately (school and life in general hav been bein poop-faces) but a review and watch alert can put a smile on my face, even on the worst of days! Thank you!**

**I will update again. Eventually. Hopefully before next year, but I make no promises XD**


End file.
